Ramona MacLean and how Ramona, the cheeky avatar, took on a life on her own!

Ramona MacLean lives in Vancouver, Canada. She is a digital artist mostly active on Instagram (@freckledpage) and has a YouTube Channel (in which she made a PaperLike review). Apart from her awesome work, she has an avatar of herself that decided to take on a life on her own. We reached out to Ramona to find out what's behind her cheeky character "Little Ramona" and what got her into digital drawing in the first place.

When did you go "digital" with your art?I was fist introduced to “digital art” when I attended Capilano University for 2D animation. It was great! Suddenly I could undo and redo as many times as I want on this large Cintiques the program supplied. The main hurdle was learning Photoshop.

What inspires you?Magical Derpiness! But to be more specific, Disney, Adventure Time, incredible artists on instagram, super silly things. Basically anything fantastical, funny and cute. I love the idea of having tiny little characters with me everywhere I go, so I draw that to keep my imagination happy.

Do you have any tips for aspirational artists who are just starting with digital art?Do it with Passion! Draw what you like, look up things that inspire you. It’ll still be tough, and things may not end up looking like you want it to, but just remember it will get better, as long as you have fun along the way!

What does your ideal working space look like?THE CUTEST MOST GORGEOUS COFFEE SHOP IN THE WORLD! But really, I work portably from my IPad, so I switch it up with different coffee shops. Only cute rustic ones make the cut.

How does PaperLike help you in the process of creating digital art?When I first got my iPad Pro the only thing I didn’t love about it was drawing on a slippery surface,. It didn’t have much grip to it. Later on, I saw a review by Frannerd and thought I’d check it out. I’m sooo happy I did, because now it feels like I’m drawing on buttery clouds of cotton candy! Hahah, kidding, but it has a nice texture and grip, making it easier to get what I have in my head on to the screen.

How long does it take you to create an artwork?Anywhere from five seconds to a million years! (Aka, very different lengths of time)

What are your favourite tools? What is your go-to drawing app?Procreate, procreate, procreate! Oh and did I mention Procreate? (It’s real good)

Little Ramona is awesome, what's her back story? Are you both the same person, or are there characteristics you‘d say are hers alone?Once upon a time, I created a character to represent me in comic form. This way I’d be able to draw my life experiences and people could relate. However, somewhere along the line she decided she wasn’t going to just be a comic character of me, she was going to be her own person. Of course there were a few demands included in this such as, “I NEED a unicorn sidekick” and “I’m going to do my own comics!” She constantly adds and changes things in my sketchbook, and loves to take over my instagram. She's a lot of work, but it's worth it.

Where can readers find out more about you and reach out?I post the most on my instagram - @freckledpage

Thanks Ramona, it was a joy interviewing you! Say hi to little Ramona, We'd love to meet her some day personally!

The PaperLike won't automatically make you an awesome digital artist or bring your avatars to life of their own, but it will make the process of drawing on the iPad with the Apple Pencil so much more enjoyable! 1 year 100% satisfaction guarantee - Give it a try!

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